1.3%. That’s the average conversion rate for an e-commerce website. Pretty shoddy, really.

The good news is you can increase that number. In fact, many e-commerce businesses are achieving upwards of 5 times that amount. How? By not listening to outdated advice spun by ‘experts’ in suits, for one.

It’s notoriously difficult to increase the conversion rate for an e-commerce website. There are so many facets to the customer’s buying journey, and what might work for one business won’t necessarily work for another.

However, we have found there is a sweet spot between design and tech which combined with consumer psychology results in a number of scientific strategies that can change the game for you.

Let’s dive in.

1. Make your website super easy to understand

YuMove Homepage with Dog — YuMove homepage

You’ve got about 10 seconds to make an impression when someone clicks on your website.

Imagine if the first thing they saw was a muddled, difficult to understand home page. You’re gonna lose them, fast. Successful e-commerce businesses make their information easy to digest and actionable.

Your homepage should tell visitors exactly who you are and what you do as soon as they click on your site. If it doesn’t, you can kiss that potential customer goodbye before they’ve even got to your product.

2. Mobile first

More than half of all internet traffic now comes from mobile phones but the conversion rates are lower. So your mobile site needs to work harder and that’s why we suggest designing for mobile first. If you can max your user experience on mobile chances are this more easily converts to desktop.

And remember if you are looking at your competitors or brands you admire make sure you check them out on both formats.

3. Emphasise actions on clear CTAs and buttons

Proviz, running woman with CTA buttons — Proviz - Sign Up pop-up

Making your offers stand out can have a big impact on how many people click on them. Prominently placed and strategically coloured CTA (call to action) buttons have a much higher likelihood of converting customers than ones that hide in the shadows or don’t offer a clear choice.

However, be careful not to offer too many CTAs, this can can overwhelm visitors and achieve the exact opposite. Employ clear elements such as short sign-up forms (nb. removing just one field can improve conversions by 26%!) and pre-fill checkout options.

4. Use high-quality images and videos to showcase your products

Rabbit on a green single Hutch sofa — Hutch creative imagery

You’re an e-commerce store. If you’re not showing off the products you sell in a way that makes them irresistible to buyers, you’re missing a trick.

Sometimes the most obvious solution can make the biggest difference. And how you display your products really comes into that. Customers can’t physically see or touch your products, so take advantage of the next best thing - high quality images and videos. Doing so will help customers visualise what they will be getting and more will click ‘buy’.

5. Offer your customers something more

With more and more customers seeking out brands that align with their sustainability driven ethos give them something which shows that your purpose is connected to their values. Check out this article for some ideas.

6. Use tech to your advantage

There are plenty of great “plug n’ play” tech options which can really increase conversion - reviews, loyalty programmes, email marketing, SMS etc. These don’t require hours of development time

When thinking about reviews it is important to think about whether you need the customer to trust the brand or the product - this can affect where the reviews are displayed.

Loyalty progammes can do wonders for repeat purchases and referrals but be careful not to bombard your customers before that all important check out button is hit.

Employ an abandon cart strategy! Sometimes people just need reminding that they forgot to checkout and that your wonderful product is still waiting for them. And if you want to go one step further offer limited time discounts to entice them back.

With 50% of users bouncing after viewing just one page, first impressions count.

At Eleven, we build unforgettable D2C experiences that power your purpose and sales. We use a successful framework to accelerate your growth using brand creative and tech strategies. Ultimately this means higher conversion, increased loyalty and the ability to super charge your growth.
To find out more about how we accelerate e-commerce brands, get in touch now